Qualcomm Unveils Drone Built On Flight RB5 5G Platform

Chip Maker, Qualcomm has unveiled the world’s first drone platform and reference design to offer both 5G and AI capabilities, the Qualcomm Flight RB5 5G Platform. 

Qualcomm released a new design that contains all the latest connectivity and processing tech it has been talking up since last year. The drone is equipped with a Qualcomm Spectra 480 Image Signal Processor that can capture 200-megapixel photos and 8K video at 30 FPS. In addition, the drone can record in 4K at 120 FPS with support for HDR.

At its core, the Flight RB5 5G platform uses the QRB5165 processor and Kryo 585 CPU and Adreno 650 GPU, based on the Snapdragon 865 CPU. The AI enhancements come by way of the Hexagon Tensor Accelerator in the Hexagon 698 DSP. Third-parties that use the platform will also get access to a trio of software development kits for neural processing, computer vision and multimedia applications.

Qualcomm's drone platform includes support for 5G connectivity and WiFi 6 and the chip-maker said the networking tech can help support drone-to-drone communications and drone swarms. Both use cases are being explored across industries, from delivering and transporting goods to aerial light displays to military warfare. The reference drone is available to pre-order now, ahead of a late Q3 shipping date, at ModalAI for $400 sans 5G and $500 with 5G. Those interested will also have to put down a $1,000 deposit to reserve it.

Qualcomm will be hoping the dedicated platform can accelerate drone development by leveraging the power of its latest mobile chips.